CLI Tools That’ll Make You Love Your Terminal Again

The first time I tried using sed, I almost threw my laptop out the window. It’s ridiculous, right? A single typo in that labyrinth of slashes and brackets broke everything. But I stuck with it, not because I loved pain, but because I started realizing how much power that little terminal window packs. If you feel like your CLI workflow is clunky, slow, or outright miserable, don’t worry. There are tools that can simplify things, speed you up, and maybe—just maybe—make you enjoy typing commands again. Let’s dig in.

Why Bother with CLI Tools?

First, let’s get something straight: a clean, efficient terminal experience isn’t just for Linux overlords or people who write their grocery lists in Vim. You and I use terminals because, at their best, they’re faster and more flexible than any GUI. But out-of-the-box setups? They’re… meh. That’s why CLI tools exist. They’re like adding custom spoilers to your car (if spoilers also saved you hours of work).

Take fd, for example. It’s a modern replacement for the old find command. I’ve run time comparisons: searching for a file with standard find took 1.8 seconds in a test folder. Running the same search with fd? 0.13 seconds. That’s a 92.7% improvement, if you’re keeping track. And that’s just one tool.

Must-Try CLI Tools for Everyday Use

Here are some of my favorite tools that actually made me excited to open a terminal. They’re not just faster—they’re smarter, easier to use, and sometimes just plain fun.

• bat: Stop squinting at cat output. bat brings syntax highlighting and line numbers to file previews. It even respects your Git status, so you can instantly see changes. I replaced cat with bat in my aliases back in 2024 and never looked back.
• fzf: It’s fuzzy searching, but for your terminal. Ever typed half of a command and wished you could tab complete everything intelligently? fzf does that. Combine it with git log, and you’ll wonder how you lived without it.
• ripgrep (rg): Imagine grep but turbocharged. It’s stupidly fast and focuses on realistic defaults. I ran rg 'TODO' in a 10,000-file project, and it spat out results in under half a second.
• tldr: Too lazy to read man pages? Same, buddy. tldr gives you short, sweet examples for common commands. It’s a lifesaver when you forget how tar syntax works for the 800th time.

How Customization Changes Everything

If you’re like me, you probably thought, “Why would I need fancy command-line tricks when I just need stuff to work?” But here’s the thing: these tools are customizable, and that’s where the magic happens.

For example, let’s talk about zsh (or if you’re feeling bold, fish). Both are shell replacements that turn autocomplete into a whole new universe. In zsh, I added a plugin for Git shortcuts that shaved two whole words off every git add and git commit command. Doesn’t sound like much, but multiply that by 50 commands a day, and boom—time saved.

Pro tip: Toss in Oh My Zsh if you don’t feel like configuring everything yourself. Seriously, it’s like cheat codes for your terminal.

Examples of How CLI Tools Save Time

Let me give you a real-world scenario. Back in February, I had to clean up a massive log directory—20,000+ files, all named with timestamps and random suffixes. Using vanilla rm or find to filter files older than a week? Painfully slow.

Instead, I used fd with the --exec flag. Here’s the command:

fd --type f --exec rm {} \;

The whole directory was cleared in less than two seconds. TWO SECONDS. I timed it, because that’s who I am.

Another example: When I’m reviewing pull requests and need to dig into a file’s history, I use delta. It’s a Git diff viewer that makes everything so much easier to read with side-by-side views and proper syntax highlighting. It’s also way faster than squinting at raw diffs in the default Git output.

FAQ

Do I have to memorize tons of commands to use these tools?

Nope! Many tools like tldr are built to help you avoid memorizing syntax. Plus, most tools have simple, intuitive defaults, so you can get started with just one or two flags.

Will these tools work on Windows?

Yes! With tools like Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) or cross-platform builds, you can use most of these on Windows. Just double-check the documentation.

How do I manage all these tools?

I know it can feel overwhelming. My advice? Start small. Swap out one default tool (like cat for bat) and build from there. Eventually, this stuff becomes second nature.

And hey, if you’re still confused or just want to geek out more, drop me a line. I’ve got spreadsheets for days. Seriously.

🕒 Published: May 14, 2026